Five Years Away
by Ares.Granger
Summary: After leaving Britain just days after the Final Battle, Harry and Ron find themselves in France for the Quidditch World Cup. It's England vs Belgium and the boys learn some surprising things about everyone they'd left behind. Just how much can lives change in five years? They're about to find out. Obviously AU and EWE?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter. As my name isn't JK Rowling, you've probably already deduced that. I also make no money from this fic. This is just some fun.**

 **A/N- There are a great many 'Reunion' fics in the dramione category and within that trope is the sub-trope (is that a thing? If not, it is now) of Harry and/or Ron leave England post war only to come back and be stunned that Hermione is with Draco Malfoy and Ginny is with Blaise Zabini. But usually the author reaches for some sort of reason to bring the duo back to England. I decided that was too predictable and instead decided to send the boys to France for the World Cup. Also, no Blaise/Ginny. Because the pairings kind of flowed as I wrote.**

* * *

Harry Potter and his best mate Ron Weasley smiled at their tickets. England were in the final of the Quidditch World Cup and they had tickets. Neither one had been in England in the five years since the Final Battle; the day they were to start their auror training both boys had looked at each other and decided they wanted to put off growing up for a bit and travel. They had money from taking out the dark lord and they had written letters to friends and family before leaving for America. Then they went to Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, Asia, and before they knew it they'd been gone for five years.

But the World Cup was being held in France and they had tickets courtesy of some connections they'd made in their travels. They only stayed in each place they visited a week at most before they were on their way but they'd still met people and built relationships. They'd be sitting in the Minister's box. "I wonder who's playing for England," Harry said.

"Don't know but we've got to win it right?" The final was going to be Bulgaria vs England, and they knew Krum was still playing but neither one paid much attention to news about England. They were enjoying being free of the pressures of England and ultimately avoiding news was easier than facing their emotions. Keeping up with their home country would only have made them feel guilty about leaving their friends and family behind. They didn't want any guilt.

"Krum is really good," Harry mused. "I could never beat him."

"Yeah but the England side is full of professionals, not students," Ron said. "So we might not get the snitch but I bet we have loads of attacking power."

"Yeah that's true," Harry nodded. "And Oliver is in goal probably so we have a world class keeper." They joined the queue to go to France. They were really excited. They might be watching England win the World Cup in two days.

* * *

Blaise Zabini greeted the England team and their guests, "Welcome to my hotel. Okay so I have everything worked out. You guys are going to love this place. I just know it. We've got a pool and the restaurant is amazing and I have all your room keys," he grinned at the party. "Okay so Arthur and Molly, your room is opposite Narcissa and Andromeda's room," he handed Molly and Narcissa the room keys, "and I made sure your suite had a room for Teddy," he added to Narcissa.

"Bill you have the family suite next to theirs," he handed the redhead a key, "Charlie and Percy you just wanted rooms, so that's what I gave you."

"I like how he ignores the team members and focuses on family first," George said to snickers from the England squad and their partners.

"I heard that Weasley," Blaise glared at him, "all the England squad gets suites. All been arranged."

Oliver Wood was shocked, "How the devil do we get to shack up with our partners? Malfoy will never leave his room!"

Draco Malfoy grinned at that. "Oliver you clearly don't know Hermione if you don't think she'll make sure he's where he needs to be," Angelina Weasley said.

"Thank you Ang," Hermione smiled. "Nice to know someone has faith in me."

Draco glared at Wood, " _I_ _am_ the captain, Wood. Don't tell me you've still got your knickers in a twist over that." Oliver rolled his eyes as everyone laughed. Oliver was a great keeper, but he was way too intense as captain at Hogwarts and as a result he'd refused every offer to be captain ever since. Draco kept a more level head and while he took his job seriously, he was happy to let the team loosen up so long as it didn't get in the way of their performances and Oliver had been quite open about saying that Draco was a better captain than he had been. That didn't stop the two from banter about Oliver encouraging mutiny or Draco being too lax though it was all lighthearted. Still laughing at Draco and Oliver's banter everyone took their room keys and went upstairs to check out their rooms.

* * *

Once in their room Hermione pushed Draco against the door, "Now then, Mr. England Captain, what should I do with you?"

"Shag me on every surface in this room?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Once the cup is done we'll ramp things up. I'd hate for you to pull something before going toe-to-toe with Viktor."

"The husband versus the ex-boyfriend," he mused. "I say I'll win."

"Of course you will," she smiled. "You're the best English seeker ever, love."

"You're so completely and utterly biased," Draco smirked.

"If you win I have something packed for you to enjoy," she leaned close to him, "I think it's been a very long time since you've seen me in a Slytherin quidditch jersey with 'Malfoy' across the back, hasn't it?"

Draco was instantly erect, "You…can I see it?"

"Only after you win the game," she laughed. "But look on the bright side. Now you're highly motivated."

"Very highly motivated," he mumbled. "We're shagging now." He lifted her up and carried her over to the bed, his wife's legs wrapped around his waist as their tongues battled for dominance.

* * *

After the Final Battle the trials had occurred and Draco went from villain to victim during his. It was revealed that Voldemort had held his mother hostage, forcing Draco to take the mark and let Death Eaters into the school lest his mother be raped, tortured, and killed. Several people testified on his behalf, including Blaise Zabini and Theo Nott (the latter also being forced into becoming a Death Eater), his mother, and Hermione Granger. Harry had offered up his memories to Kingsley for the trials after the Final Battle before Harry and Ron had left England (though they left before the trials began). The memories were used during the trials and Moaning Myrtle even testified, though she'd only talk to Hermione. Hermione's memory of Myrtle's testimony sealed Draco's fate. He was a young man stuck between a rock and a hard place, with no way out and no one to turn to. He'd been found not guilty.

His father had been thrown in Azkaban for life, which suited Draco just fine. He took hold of the Malfoy fortune as soon as he was cleared and had Malfoy Manor destroyed and rebuilt, in a not so dreary looking style.

He'd returned to school, along with Hermione and many others, and what started as a friendship between the two of them swiftly became romance. Once the couple had sex the first time their friends learned to knock before entering either one's bedroom. They were almost always on one another, if not shagging then engaging in little displays of affection.

Hermione had always been against public displays of affection but she found it impossible to keep her hands off of him and he was the same with her. By the time Hogwarts ended, Malfoy Manor had been completely rebuilt. They graduated their last year the top 2 students in their class and that evening at a party thrown at the newly rebuilt Malfoy Manor by his mother, his aunt Andromeda, and Molly Weasley, Draco had proposed. Hermione hadn't hesitated in saying yes.

What to do after Hogwarts was the question but for Draco it was soon answered. His boyhood club, the Falmouth Falcons, wanted him as their seeker. Draco looked to his fiancée for her opinion and she'd asked him if he wanted to play quidditch professionally. He'd nodded that he did and she'd said that he got to do what _he_ wanted and that was all that mattered. Too often in his life Lucius and then Voldemort told him what he wanted and what he was going to do and she wasn't letting anyone ever do that to him again. If Draco could have fallen in love with her even more, he did then.

Hermione had followed her own advice to Draco and gone into potionmaking. She'd always loved potions class and with Draco vowing to help her set up her own business she began studying for her Potions Mastery. Slughorn mentored her and McGonagall arranged for her to floo between Malfoy Manor and Slughorn's office so that she could live with Draco rather than have to be apart from her fiancée.

Andromeda lived in the manor along with Narcissa, the two sisters bonding again and Narcissa helping Andromeda with raising Teddy. Draco took being Teddy's male role model very seriously and always made time for the little boy.

The Weasleys had come around on the Malfoys, or at least regarding Draco and Narcissa. Molly had invited them both to Christmas at the Burrow when Hermione had told them that she was dating Draco and loved him while they were still at Hogwarts. Narcissa had embraced Hermione dating Draco, and loved having her sister back, but she wasn't sure about the Weasleys. When Hermione explained that they were family to her and they wouldn't hold Lucius against her, Narcissa had agreed to go. She and Molly got on quite well after a tepid start and they had begun planning her and Draco's wedding as soon as he'd proposed.

Draco wasn't the only one to go into quidditch. Ginny was drafted to the Holyhead Harpies. George joined up with Oliver Wood and Angelina Johnson at Puddlemere United as a beater, and Theo Nott and Greg Goyle joined Draco at the Falmouth Falcons as a chaser and beater respectively. Together they became the core of the England National Team over the next four years and they became close as well.

Angelina and George got engaged a few months after Draco and Hermione, and got married at the end of the next Quidditch season. Hermione and Draco were engaged for two years before having a big wedding shortly after she achieved her mastery in potions.

She opened up an apothecary with Padma Patil, who eventually became Mrs. Theo Nott. Luna married Greg Goyle and she went into magizoology. Ginny ended up marrying Dennis Creevey, who became a professional photographer.

One of the most amusing pairings was Daphne Greengrass with Blaise Zabini, in Hermione's opinion. Daphne had loosened up after school and she and Hermione were very close, but Blaise made George look reserved. He was just an extra level of goofball and hilarity. Dinner at the Zabini house always ended in laughter. During the quidditch season he ran WWW for George along with Lee Jordan who was a professional quidditch commentator. During the off-season George took back control while Blaise tended to the hotels he owned and was building throughout Magical Europe.

* * *

"Draco stop," Hermione laughed as they exited the bathroom two hours after their arrival, "we have to go down to dinner."

"We can eat in bed," he argued as he put on his underwear and unzipped the bag which was holding his suit.

Hermione slipped into her dress and turned, "Zip me up please?"

"So that would be the opposite direction I usually move that zipper yeah?" Hermione laughed as he zipped her up, finishing the deed with a kiss on her shoulder, "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled. "Help me with my necklace?"

Draco fastened the clasp for her, kissing the back of her neck, "You're so beautiful."

She turned and buttoned up his dress shirt for him, "Love, what are you doing in two days?"

"Catching the snitch," he answered, tucking his shirt into his pants. "I'm not distracted by you. I never am."

"And you know I'm proud of you," she tied his tie for him, "you're just feeling extra randy?"

"Hermione, we're in a hotel in Paris, France. Of course I'm feeling extra randy," Draco grinned. She laughed and kissed him sweetly, "Now come on, let's go show you off and hang out with our friends."

* * *

In the hotel's ballroom they entered in their formal dresswear and gazed around. It was very beautiful. "Blaise knows how to throw a party," she said.

"He says it's a talent," Draco smirked. She rolled her eyes. Slytherins and their egos. "By the way, I love you in green but I prefer the little black dress," he whispered in her ear.

Hermione looked at him, "I know you do but in the little black dress I have to wear underwear and in this one I don't."

Draco swallowed. Going on five years together and she could still catch him off guard and often did. He loved that about her. A quick kiss was shared before he led her over to his mother, "Hello Mum," he smiled.

"Draco, Hermione, you both look stunning," Narcissa smiled, hugging them both. "How is your room?"

"Very nice," Hermione answered. "A big bathtub only slightly smaller than the prefect bath at Hogwarts and a shower big enough for three people."

"Blaise nailed it," Draco nodded.

"Teddy loves his room," Narcissa smiled. "He has his own bedroom with brooms and snitches all over it."

"Sounds like his room at the manor, minus the dragons," Draco smiled.

"Where is Teddy?" Hermione asked.

"In the bathroom," her mother-in-law answered. "No sooner had we arrived here than Teddy declared he needed to go to the bathroom. So Andromeda took him."

* * *

Harry and Ron arrived in France and gazed at the campsite. "Do you think your parents are here?" Harry asked as they gazed around the campsite.

"I dunno," Ron said. "If they are we'll probably see them over the next couple days."

"Not looking forward to living in a tent again," Harry grimaced. "I've had my fill of it."

"That makes two of us," Ron shuddered.

* * *

Draco twirled his wife around the ballroom, enjoying the evening. They'd had a wonderful dinner, catered by the restaurant in the hotel, and the band had arrived afterwards. He'd already danced with his mother, his aunt, and Molly after opening the dancing with his wife but now he was her only partner for the rest of the night. "One of my favorite qualities of yours is that you dance," Hermione smiled. He laughed. He distinctly remembered Krum, Potter, and Weasel's attempts at the Yule Ball. Draco and his friends had been popular that night because they actually _could_ dance.

"I like dancing with you," he smiled. "If you weren't friends with Potter and Weasel in school, I'd have danced with you that night. But if I had," he shrugged and didn't continue.

"They would have started trouble," Hermione nodded as she finished his sentence. Draco could be a git, she certainly knew that. But all the Slytherin boys could. Yet for some reason in school Harry and Ron had always zeroed in on Draco being the worst when really he wasn't. He was arrogant, pompous, and insensitive to others but so were Theo and many other sons and daughters of Death Eaters. Draco was targeted because Ron hated the name Malfoy and Draco had had the nerve to ask for Harry's hand in friendship. "I've long thought Ron creates conflict just because he loves arguing," she said.

"Sounds right to me," Draco muttered. "I have had my issues with all my friends but I've never treated any of them the way he would treat you."

Harry and Ron's abrupt departure had surprised everyone; even Draco and his friends. But it was Hermione, their alleged best friend, and the Weasleys that hurt the worst. On the one hand, she wasn't surprised she wasn't asked to go with them. She knew they didn't think she was fun or could have fun. She also would have told them no. In school Draco had once called her 'Potter's walking encyclopedia' and in truth, she had felt that way many times. "I think what hurt the most about them leaving was they never wrote any of us. It was just, 'Hey, we're leaving England because war sucks and we're really sad. You all suffer on your own we're going to have fun.' It was so insensitive. And Harry had always implied he wanted to be with Ginny, that she was his dream girl, and he couldn't wait to be with her again. Instead, he just left her."

"Well the plus side is they couldn't interfere in our relationship," Draco smiled.

"You are definitely worth twenty of Ron," she wrapped her arms around his neck as the music slowed and pressed against him. She loved Draco. It was almost overwhelming sometimes just how much she loved him. It had scared her at first. But Molly and Andromeda had assured her that there was nothing to be afraid of. But for those two women, she might have run away. Her relationship with Draco was so different than her parents, who had acted like friends far more than lovers. Affection wasn't a common occurrence in the Granger house. It wasn't in the Malfoy house either and when Narcissa explained that to her, Hermione had fully embraced the intensity of their relationship. She and Draco both obviously craved something very different from what they grew up with and she enjoyed all the little touches and looks and whatnot.

* * *

Molly Weasley smiled at the young couples dancing. Though having all her children together was always wonderful, it made her think about Fred and Ron. One was dead and one very well could be dead. Ron had always been horrible with communication. She could count the number of letters he sent home while he was at Hogwarts for six years on one hand. Even Fred and George had written at least twice a month while they were in school. At first when Ron left with Harry she thought they'd come back within a year. But they hadn't. She was positive they didn't know Hermione was with Draco. The Muggleborn marrying a Malfoy would have sent them both into a rage.

It would have driven Molly into a rage, once upon a time. But that was before she lost a son, fighting for not just their freedom but for Hermione's freedom to live. When she had heard what Draco had gone through at the hands of his father and then Voldemort, how he'd wanted to protect his mother no matter what would happen to him in the future…her heart had broken for the young man. So when Hermione had brought him home to the Burrow, Molly had welcomed him with open arms as well as his mother. Narcissa had no choice in her husband, but that she stayed to try and protect Draco had Molly certain she was a good mother.

Molly wasn't upset that Harry and Ron had left; Bill and Charlie both had after all. But Molly had been very upset that Harry and Ron didn't write. Plus Harry had left Ginny hanging. And of course, there was the boys' treatment of Hermione. The girl deserved more than they'd left her. Just a note saying bye and they were leaving. The mother in her didn't want to give up on the boys, but she also was never going to isolate the girl who had been there for her and who Arthur had walked down the aisle. Hermione had asked Molly and Arthur to stand as her parents at her wedding and Molly treasured every memory involved in that, from dress shopping to cake tasting to being introduced as mother of the bride by Lee Jordan when she'd entered the reception. It had been so lovely.

"Do you want to dance love?" Arthur asked her.

"Yes I think that would be nice Arthur," Molly accepted his hand and they moved to the dance floor again.

* * *

Dennis Creevey held his wife to him, "You're going to be so great out there Gin."

Ginny smiled at her husband, "You're almost a better fan than my mother."

"Hard to compete with Molly," Dennis nodded. "And Hermione too, of course."

"Hermione cheering on Draco never ceases to amuse me," Ginny laughed. You'd be forgiven for thinking Hermione was a diehard fan of all things quidditch when it was Draco on the pitch. Ginny had known Hermione for over ten years and only when she started seeing Draco had Hermione actually taken an interest in quidditch. Ginny wasn't sure if it was a testament to how much she loved Draco or how much she wanted to support him emotionally since growing up he'd been denied it but it didn't really matter. She knew Hermione's support and cheering made Draco feel unbeatable and a seeker always needed to go out onto the pitch feeling unbeatable. "Tomorrow we have morning practice and then the day before the game we're supposed to rest. I was thinking we could hang out by the pool? I know you wanted more time here in France to explore…"

"We can always come back," Dennis shrugged. "I mean, I'd love to see the sights but I want to see them with you and the World Cup is more important."

"You're too sweet Dennis," Ginny kissed him, "I love you."

"I love you too," he responded. Ginny enjoyed dancing with her husband. She was rather glad that Harry had left, actually. She had always privately worried that Harry saw her as a ticket to a family through her parents, siblings, and a whole brood of kids. But Ginny only wanted two kids, tops. And she wanted to wait until she was finished with her quidditch career. Dennis was perfect for her. He was fine with just two kids. His only request was that they name one of their kids after Colin, even if it was just a middle name.

Dennis was also great because he put Ginny first. Having seen Hermione with Draco, Ginny wanted that. Hermione had spent 7 years playing protective big sister/mother to Harry and Ron and if she did anything for herself during those seven years, the two boys had been outraged. They didn't want to date Hermione, they just didn't want her dating someone else.

One night after the boys had left Ginny and Hermione got drunk, well Hermione got drunk and Ginny sat by her side, as Hermione let out all of her anger at Harry and Ron and the things they'd said or done that at best were insensitive and at worst made Hermione feel like a flobberworm. True, the boys weren't particularly good at dealing with emotions. That was why they'd fled, after all, but everything Hermione did was always scrutinized and when possible seen as a slight to the two boys' egos or emotions while her feelings were tossed right out the window by them.

Admittedly, Ginny was furious they'd left as they did and she had some residual anger still. But when Ginny saw how happy Hermione was with Draco as they became a couple, Ginny could see Harry and Ron doing to Hermione and Draco what they had done to Hermione and Viktor. The relationship wouldn't have stood a chance as the boys always took advantage of the fact that before them, Hermione had never had any friends.

Of course, now they no longer had that power over Hermione. Out from under the cloud of Harry and Ron, Hermione shone like the sun. She was fun, she had a wicked sense of humor, and Ginny wondered how much of what Hermione had been labeled at school was a result of how little Harry and Ron had done for their schoolwork. When she wasn't trying to carry two whining babies through the school year Hermione was so different. True, she still loved to read. But rather than textbooks and obscure reference books Hermione would settle down with a fiction book, be it mystery or romance or a thriller. Ginny couldn't remember Hermione ever doing that when Harry and Ron were around.

Ultimately, Ginny thought they were all better off without Harry and her brother around. One drunken night before Draco and Hermione got married, Ginny expressed that to everyone. She'd even pointed out that the boys couldn't do to Draco what they'd done to Krum. At curious looks, Hermione told the Yule Ball incident and how the boys turned Krum's attraction to her into an obvious ploy to get to Harry. Obvious because, according to Ron, there was no other reason for Hermione to be asked. Draco had been aghast and his dislike of the duo grew even stronger after that.

But that was then. Now getting between Draco and Hermione was like getting between a goblin and gold. It wasn't going to happen. She'd never seen a pair more secure in their relationship than those two. It was wonderful to see.

* * *

The morning of the match Hermione woke up trapped in her husband's embrace. She glanced over to see that Draco was asleep and smiled. He always looked so innocent when he was sleeping. Carefully she turned to face him and peppered his face with little kisses, making him grumble before waking up and smiling at her, "Good morning love," he said.

"Good morning to you too," she gave him a lingering kiss, "ready for the big match?"

"Tell me I'll win," he said.

"You'll catch the snitch and you'll win the game," she kissed him again, "I know you will. You're a better seeker than Krum."

"I like your pep talks," Draco smiled. "Especially the naked part."

"You always like the naked part," she wiggled against him. "I'll join you in the shower but no sex until your victory celebration."

"Does oral count?"

"Well I have to send you off properly," she winked. Draco grinned.

* * *

After a very lengthy shower Draco and Hermione joined the team for breakfast, and it took Molly threatening to tie them all to their chairs to get the team to eat. This was the biggest match of their careers so far and no matter how confident anyone was they were nervous. "You're all going to do great. It's just like playing at the Burrow," Hermione told them all.

"That's true," Ginny perked up.

"And you don't have to worry about each other. Greg and George can read each other's minds in a match as well as Fred and George could playing pranks," Luna Goyle pointed out.

"Definitely true," George nodded. He and Greg shared a fist bump.

"You have the best keeper to ever leave Hogwarts," Padma Nott pointed out. Oliver sat up straight in his seat. He _was_ the best keeper to ever leave Hogwarts.

"Not to mention the best seeker," Dennis added, Hermione kissing Draco's cheek as he genuinely smiled.

"And the best three chasers to ever play together," Hermione finished. "You'll all be wonderful. Just stick to whatever plan my handsome husband has for you and you'll all be fine."

Theo and Angelina smiled at Hermione's praise and the team relaxed enough to eat breakfast, their spouses and family members offering encouraging words and little Teddy dressed in his own England kit telling them all how Cousin Draco was going to win the game. Draco gazed at Teddy, smiling at the boy's confidence in his family members. Lately he'd been contemplating starting a family with Hermione. Maybe it was time to do just that. His kids would be able to remember their dad playing if they started now and he played another 8-10 years.

Vowing to ask Hermione about starting a family after the match, Draco announced it was time to go to the locker rooms and stood, hugging Teddy, his mother, his aunt, Molly, Arthur, and then kissing Hermione. "I love you," he told her.

"I love you too. Come back to me in one piece."

"I will," he promised. Before every match Hermione told him to come back to her in one piece. Usually she would tell him win or lose it didn't matter, she just wanted him back in her arms in one piece. But this match mattered more than any other and he was glad she didn't try to tell him it didn't. That wouldn't have calmed his nerves like it usually did.

* * *

When the team's partners and guests all entered the private stand they all had on England jerseys with someone's name and number on the back. Hermione, Teddy, Narcissa, and Andromeda all wore Malfoy on the back of theirs with his number, 7. Molly, Bill, Fleur, and little Victoire wore Weasley #2- George's number, while Arthur, Percy, Charlie, and Dennis wore Creevey #6, Ginny's number. Oliver's parents wore his name and number, 1, on their back. Angelina's parents wore Johnson #5, as she'd kept using her maiden name professionally when she married George to avoid any confusion with her husband. Luna wore Goyle #3 along with Daphne Zabini while Padma and Blaise both wore Nott #4 on theirs. They all sat down and settled into their seats, Victoire and Teddy happy to wear their dragon (the English quidditch team mascot) hats they'd bought the previous day.

Harry and Ron entered the private stand and saw a sea of red hair. The two boys weren't sure whether to say hello or not, but they hadn't been seen so they sat where in the back of the box. "Do you think Hermione's with them?" Ron whispered to Harry.

"I would imagine she probably is. I don't see Ginny though," Harry whispered back. Neither boy had bought any merchandise, as they couldn't find a vendor. They still didn't know who the England team was.

Ron was about to say something when they heard a little boy speak, "Is Viktor Krum a good seeker Cousin Hermione?"

The two boys stared at each other, confused. Hermione didn't have cousins. They heard her answer, "He's a very good seeker. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll beat him."

The two boys heard Bill laugh, "Biased much Hermione?"

"Are you saying my husband won't win, Bill? As fast as he is on a broom I am with my wand," the two boys were gobsmacked. Hermione was married? To a seeker? They both tried to think of seekers in school that Hermione could have married but neither one could think of anyone that fit the bill. Harry had been the best seeker in school and he couldn't have beat Krum. England seemed doomed to the boys.

They missed hearing Bill stutter that Draco would be fine to laughter from the rest of the group. "Tonight there will be a party," they heard Molly say, "if England win I'm sure they'll all be exuberant."

"Can we go to the party Mummy?" A little girl asked.

"Of course we can," they heard Fleur answer.

"I can't believe Bill and Fleur have a daughter," Ron muttered.

"Grandma I have to pee," they heard the little boy say.

"I'll take him," they heard Hermione say. Both boys stared as Hermione stood up. She was wearing an England jersey. The name was obscured by her hair and they were about to hide when they heard her say, "Come on Teddy. Let's go to the bathroom."

"What if I miss the match?"

"It doesn't start for another ten minutes," she assured him. The little boy Harry worked out was Teddy Lupin stood and took her hand and they turned down the aisle to walk to the back when she saw them, "Harry? Ron?"

Harry and Ron found themselves the focus of attention of many Weasleys. Hermione took Teddy to the bathroom without saying another word to them. Harry and Ron looked down and Ron managed to get out, "Uh, hi Mum, Dad."

Molly's eyes narrowed at the pair of them and both boys shrunk in their seats. She was going to deliver a howler in person, they were sure of it. But Molly controlled herself. Roughly five years of friendship with Narcissa Malfoy saw the woman's composed anger rub off on Molly who didn't want to create a scene at such an important match for her children and honorary son-in-law, "Just answer me this. Were you going to tell us you were here? Write to us? Or were you going to watch the game and leave without ever telling us you were even in France?"

"We meant to write," Ron said. "We just forgot." Harry winced at Ron's word choice.

"Every day for five years you forgot to write your family to tell them you were alive," Arthur said. "We raised you better than that Ronald." Ron winced at his full name being used. "Answer your mother. Were you going to visit England? Write to us? Or were you going to watch the game and leave quickly? Harry's never even met his godson, was he going to track down Andromeda to see him?"

* * *

At that moment Hermione returned with Teddy and the two boys saw her as a lifeline, "Hermione! Surely you can tell them how forgetful we are," Ron tried.

"Is this Teddy? Wow you're so big," Harry said.

Hermione picked Teddy up and glared at Harry. Teddy looked at him, confused, before looking at Hermione, "Who is he?"

"Someone who used to be my friend before he abandoned me," Hermione answered.

Harry slumped into his seat while Hermione walked away. Just like that, the attention that had been on the boys vanished as Teddy became the focus of attention. Teddy sat down out of their sight and spoke excitedly, "Aunt Cissy! This bathroom is really cool. It had snitches and quaffles and bludgers all over the walls," he told someone.

A familiar voice Harry couldn't quite place answered, "That's lovely dear. Should we redecorate your room at the manor?"

"No I like dragons better than quaffles and bludgers," Teddy said.

"Smart man," Charlie said, high-fiving the little boy. "Dragons are the best." Teddy nodded enthusiastically. "Look Teddy, the game is going to start."

Teddy looked toward the pitch, "Where are they?"

"They'll be out after the mascots come out," Hermione assured him.

"Dragons?"

"George supplied the fireworks so there will probably be dragons," Charlie nodded. "It'd be too dangerous to bring a real dragon here."

"I like fireworks," Teddy smiled. There might not be a real dragon but George made the best fireworks. Teddy watched eagerly as the Bulgarian Veela arrived, Fleur muttering about how distasteful it was and that Veela were not enslaved creatures while Narcissa and Hermione covered Teddy's eyes.

Harry and Ron didn't see anything distasteful about the Veela, who were really hot. They could hear Bill muttering that it was inappropriate to use women that way and figured he was probably just being sensitive to his wife's Veela heritage. The Bulgarian mascots soon left while the English performance began. The fireworks were lit and three golden dragons shot into the sky before flying around the stadium. One caught a bludger, one caught a quaffle, and the last dove in front of the stand they were sitting in to lift the snitch aloft before they flew in formation to replicate the England team badge. They then burst into a shower of golden sparks, Teddy and Victoire applauding the fireworks.

"That was lovely," Molly smiled.

"Uncle George did good," Victoire told her father. Bill nodded. George had done very well.

* * *

The teams entered the stadium and Harry and Ron looked at the Bulgarians. There was Krum. They then looked at the English team. Wood, George and some bloke they didn't recognize, Angelina, Ginny, and another bloke they didn't recognize, and the last one had them stunned. Draco Malfoy?! "What is that peace of slime doing on the team?" Ron growled. "He's Death Eater trash."

Hermione's eyes narrowed toward Ron, not that he noticed. She looked at her mother-in-law, "Mum do you have a hair tie? I don't want my neck getting too hot."

"Of course dear," Narcissa handed one over and Hermione put her hair up. "I'm getting nervous," she confessed.

"I think we all are," Andromeda patted her sister's hand. "He'll be fine Cissy."

"He'll do better than fine. It's not every day you get to go toe-to-toe with your wife's ex-boyfriend. He'll destroy Krum," Blaise assured his best friend's mother.

Harry had been listening to the conversation. Cissy had to be Narcissa Malfoy who was Teddy's great-aunt. Hermione calling her mum and Blaise saying that Hermione's husband was facing her ex-boyfriend meant that Hermione was married to Draco Malfoy. Harry felt ill at the thought. He watched Hermione put her hair up. Sure enough the back of her shirt said Malfoy. And she really thought he was better than Krum? Malfoy was a horrible seeker. He bought his spot on the Slytherin team for crying out loud.

* * *

While Harry was musing about how bad Malfoy was the teams took off into the air after their captains, Malfoy and Krum, shook hands. Ron felt conflicted. On the one hand, his brother and sister were playing for England. On the other, Malfoy was the captain and Goyle and Nott, two more Slytherin scum, were playing too. He didn't want to upset his mother more, though, and so he decided to just cheer for England and hope Ginny put them far enough ahead that Krum could get the snitch and England would still win.

Harry, meanwhile, was watching Malfoy. "Holy crap!" Ron kept his voice low, "Ginny's got Creevey's name on her back!"

Harry frowned and used his Omnioculars to watch Ginny to see that she was wearing Creevey's name on her back. "She married Colin's younger brother?"

"Apparently," Ron said. For the first time he was realizing just how much they'd missed by not even looking at an English newspaper.

"Nott scores for England!" The commentator yelled to massive roars from the stadium and their fanbox. Harry couldn't believe it. Why was it okay for Death Eaters to play for the national team?

* * *

For Harry and Ron it was the most surreal game they'd ever seen. But they were ignored by the team's family and friends who were solely focused on the game. When Krum went into a dive about twenty minutes in Hermione zoomed in on Draco to see him ignoring the Bulgarian. She smiled when the Bulgarian pulled out of it, looking disgruntled. Draco had read the feint and ignored Krum.

Harry was admittedly impressed. His first instinct was that Krum had seen the snitch and he thought Malfoy was about to be humiliated but Malfoy had read Krum's feint correctly. After 45 minutes Krum and Malfoy were still without the snitch, which had yet to appear even once in the stadium. England led 130-60. Either team could win if they caught the snitch, though.

Harry was watching Krum when he saw Hermione stand up in the box out of the corner of his eye and he looked back toward Malfoy, who was a blur as he streaked toward the opposite end of the field, George swinging a perfectly timed bludger at Krum and throwing him off his chase while the three chasers in front of Draco formed a triangle to clear him a path, the three diving down at the last second as Draco zoomed through the middle hoop, the keeper having dived out of the way of the oncoming chasers (giving Ginny a chance to score one last goal), and shot upward, a shining ball of gold in his hand. Their box and the stadium roared as the announcer yelled that England had won 290-80.

Harry looked away from an exuberant Malfoy, who was tackled into the ground by the three chasers once he was low enough to avoid injury, to see the Weasleys, Hermione, and everyone in their party jumping up and down in celebration. Hermione was hugging Narcissa while Teddy sat on Charlie's shoulders screaming in joy. Never had Harry seen Molly and Arthur look so proud.

* * *

Back on the pitch Draco was held up on the shoulders of George and Oliver before all of them mounted their brooms for a victory lap then flying to the middle of the pitch for the trophy presentation. Draco shook the hand of the French minister, accepting his winner's medal, before being handed the trophy. With his team huddled around him he lifted the trophy to cheers from the stands, beaming ear to ear.

Each team member lifted the trophy and kissed it before Draco hopped onto his broom and flew up to the box, yelling for Teddy to be handed over. Charlie helped Teddy onto the broom and once the little boy was situated Draco fist-bumped the redhead before flying away for another victory lap with Teddy on his broom. Teddy got to lift the trophy, grinning widely and looking up at his cousin in admiration. Even Harry, for all he hated Malfoy, had to give the blonde credit. This would be a memory that the little boy would have for the rest of his life.

Hermione smiled at the delight on Teddy's face as he lifted the trophy. Andromeda dabbed at her eyes. Draco really had taken a big brother/father role for Teddy and to see the delight on Teddy's face was just too much for the older woman. Narcissa hugged her sister, "You raised him well," Andromeda told her.

"I think so too," Narcissa smiled down at her son. After the war Draco wanted the name Malfoy to become something good and today he'd associated the name Malfoy with the Quidditch World Cup. Lucius would be forgotten and Draco would be remembered as the hero who saw England to the trophy. Only at his wedding to Hermione had Narcissa been prouder of her son.

"Let's go down and see them," Hermione said. Gathering their things Hermione, Narcissa, Andromeda, Luna, Padma, Dennis, Bill, Fleur, and Victoire were the first group into the lift, leaving the box.

* * *

Molly looked at Harry and Ron as she and Arthur walked toward the lift. "If you two can behave yourselves, you can come to the after-party. It's at Blaise's hotel." Blaise dutifully handed Molly a card with the hotel's address. "Despite the fact that you weren't even going to say hello to us until Hermione saw you, you are still family."

Blaise held the lift doors for the Weasley parents and once they were in the lift went down again. Harry and Ron looked at each other. "Should we go to this party?"

"I don't want to see Malfoy with Hermione," Ron wrinkled his nose, "that's just so wrong."

"Maybe there's an explanation," Harry suggested, though he couldn't think of one. "So do we go or not? If we don't I'm not so sure we'll ever be welcome back in England even as war heroes."

* * *

When Draco exited the locker room Hermione leaped into his arms, kissing him, "You were phenomenal love," she whispered.

"Now everyone knows that you're with the best seeker in the world," he grinned.

"The people that matter knew that already," she responded kissing him again.

Draco leaned in and whispered into her ear, "I think we're going to need some privacy before the party."

"I'm fine with that," she smiled.

* * *

Fortunately everyone agreed to return to their rooms and change before the party. Once they were alone Draco pulled Hermione to him, "Hermione I've been thinking and I know we talked about waiting but…I want to start a family. Soon."

"Watching Teddy with you today I was thinking the same thing. I'd love to see a mini-Draco looking up at you like Teddy was."

Draco grinned, "So we can start trying?"

"When we get back home I'll take the flushing potion and we can start trying," Hermione returned his grin with one of her own. That sounded perfect to Draco. He kissed her deeply, his hands sliding up under her shirt. "I love you Draco," she breathed as he maneuvered them to the bed, stripping her out of her shirt before his hands moved to her shorts. Luckily the party was that evening so they had some time to indulge in one another's body.

* * *

The party was more casual than Harry and Ron expected; most people wore jeans and dresses weren't as formal as they had imagined. They looked around the room to see Hermione, in a silver dress you might wear to a nightclub, laughing at something Draco Malfoy had said to her. Malfoy, to their shock, was in black jeans and wearing a green v-neck t-shirt and of course his World Cup winner's medal. And he was smiling. Not smirking, _smiling_. "I think something's wrong," Harry said. "Malfoy doesn't smile. And why on Earth would Hermione marry that piece of shite Death Eater?"

"Why is my mum talking and laughing with his hag of a mother?" Ron growled. He was getting very, very angry watching Malfoy touch Hermione. When he swept her up into a kiss Ron snapped and tried to rush over but Harry grabbed hold of him, "What are you doing? We need to get him away from her!"

"Ron, your mum will throw us out if we blow up at them. We have to keep calm. No matter how weird and wrong things are."

* * *

"It's been so long since I've seen you in a Slytherin jersey," Draco mused.

"Mmmhmm," Hermione smiled. "I seem to recall wearing it in Hogwarts a few times but you've always preferred me in your button-downs."

"I like you in a button-down," he said, "It buttons." Hermione laughed and kissed him.

"Please tell me you're not plotting your next sexual encounter," Blaise said as he walked over with Daphne.

"Why Blaise are you insinuating that my husband and I shag like rabbits?"

Blaise laughed. Only Hermione could say 'shag like rabbits' and still sound innocent. Well, maybe Luna could on second thought. "The Weasel is ready to explode."

"Why on Earth do they think they get to dictate your life like they own you?" Draco asked his wife. "It makes me hate them more."

"I know," she nodded, kissing his cheek. "You know what I love about you?"

"So many things," Draco responded, making her laugh.

"One thing in particular," she said. "You would never sacrifice my happiness for your own selfishness."

"That's because I make you happy and all I want is you. Those two work together for my benefit," Draco kissed her, "I love you."

"I love you too, oh handsome World Cup Champion," she teased.

"Just what Draco needs, a bigger ego," Daphne laughed.

* * *

Harry and Ron really couldn't handle seeing Malfoy and Hermione kissing. Harry looked at Ron, "Maybe we should try to talk to someone."

"Hermione then," Ron said, storming toward the pair. Harry sighed. This wasn't going to end well at all. Five years post-war and plenty of travel under their belts and Ron still couldn't control his temper.

Hermione was studying Draco's winner's medal. "It's very well detailed."

"Goblin-made," Draco answered. "Highest quality you can get."

Hermione flashed the large rock that was her engagement ring, "And Malfoys always get the best?"

"That's the saying," he grinned. "You got the best. Me."

"That World Cup is already making him unbearable," Blaise groaned.

"Oh please Blaise he would've answered that way before the win too," Daphne said.

Hermione laughed. She loved their group of friends. Banter, teasing, mock fights…it was so different than Harry and Ron. Her friendship with the two always felt incredibly formal. She could count on one hand the number of times either one even touched her outside of a loose, awkward hug when they met after a summer apart. Blaise and Theo both treated her like she was any other friend of theirs once she and Draco began to see one another. There was Theo picking her up and throwing her into the pool at Daphne's birthday party and Blaise had a tickle fight with Hermione shortly before their NEWTS to lighten her up. She'd introduced the purebloods to the muggle game Twister which they all loved as it gave them opportunities to make inappropriate remarks about the girls' bodies. Of course, Daphne, Padma, and Hermione used the game to make the boys uncomfortable. Draco would get jealous if Hermione was tangled up with Blaise and Theo and both boys would blush if the girls strategically positioned themselves to give them erotic glimpses of flesh.

Needless to say Hermione, Padma, and Daphne always won the game. She was pulled out her thoughts by Ginny, who had been behind the group, saying, "Here comes trouble."

She looked up to see Ron stomping over and looking ready to fight. She sighed, "I guess maturity isn't what they were searching for."

"Please let me hex my brother?" Ginny asked.

Hermione smirked, "If he draws his wand go right ahead."

Ron's face was the color of his hair as he practically yelled, "What the hell is wrong with you Hermione? How could you marry a Death Eater?! How could you marry a bloody Slytherin?!"

Hermione just gazed at him, unfazed by his anger, "Don't speak about things you know nothing about, Ronald Bilius Weasley. It only makes you look stupid."

"Unsurprisingly it appears you numbskulls couldn't be bothered to even read a newspaper while you were gone. If you had you'd know all about the trials and the fact that I was acquitted of all charges," Draco pointed out.

"More like you told lies and paid your way out," Ron scoffed. The sound of a smack was loud and Ron held his cheek, where Hermione's hand had left its mark. "Bloody hell!"

"Don't you dare insult my husband because you're jealous of him," Hermione said, her eyes flashing in anger. Ron took a step back from the witch in front of him. He had always been a little afraid of Hermione. Now he was terrified of her.

"I want you both out of my hotel," Blaise said. "No one insults my friends in my business. Out!"

"I don't want to be in a Slytherin's hotel anyway," Ron declared. "Vile scum the lot of you."

Ron then yelped in pain as Molly Weasley dragged her son away by the ear. "Ronald Weasley don't you dare bother coming home until you've learned some manners!"

* * *

Harry and Ron found themselves outside the hotel and barred from entry to any Zabini properties around the world. Harry looked at his best friend, "Very smooth Ron."

"Oh like we're ever going to even want to stay at a hotel run by Slytherins," Ron rolled his eyes at Harry. "We've stayed at plenty of places nicer than this. Besides, you don't want to put money into _their_ pocket."

Harry grabbed his friend by the arm, "Ron, your mum just made it clear we're not welcome back in England because of your temper tantrum in there!"

Ron paled. He hadn't thought of that. He was so angry that Hermione would marry a Death Eater, particularly Malfoy, that he'd completely forgotten his mother's words about not being there to see the family and that they couldn't come home until he learned some manners. "Sorry mate," Ron said.

"I'm not thrilled with her choice in husband either but I can admit that I don't know anything about her life now. All our information is five years old. I figured we could get some tonight and instead we're banned," Harry scowled. "I didn't even do anything! You did!"

Ron felt his temper getting the better of him, "Well excuse me for actually caring about Hermione!"

"YOU BLOODY ABANDONED HER AND YET YOU STILL TREAT HER LIKE SHE'S A FUCKING TOY OF YOURS YOU UNGRATEFUL BASTARD!" Harry yelled. "Just because you're jealous that she loves Malfoy and wasn't sitting with her legs crossed for over five years while you meandered around the world humping any woman with a pulse doesn't mean you can treat her like that!"

Harry glared at Ron and walked away, "Where are you going?!"

"To apologize," Harry said. "Don't bother coming. We both know they'll only take it if we mean it and you bloody well never will." Harry vanished from the campsite, leaving Ron alone.

* * *

 **P.S. While this has been finished for awhile, the epilogue has not. I just need to finish it off and will probably post it in a couple days at most.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- This epilogue was such a pain in the rear end. I wanted to get it up New Year's Eve but I just couldn't decide what to do with Ron. I wonder if this is how JKR felt when she was debating killing him off. After attempting 2 separate attempts to bring Ron back in I had to concede that he was messing up my epilogue. So I tossed him aside. This epilogue is almost exclusively focused on Harry as I had everyone else mostly settled. I did bring Pansy in, but if you were hoping she'd get with Harry that's not in the cards.**

 **There's alot of just text covering what's happened in the five years between events in this chapter and the previous one, but I opted to condense it in one space so that I didn't interrupt the dialogue too much with exposition (nothing kills a [fic] like too much exposition) - you get 100000 internet points if you get that reference.**

 **Also if you want to see the most ridiculous/epic/massive swingset ever, this is the reference (just delete the spaces):** **goo. gl/ ZBCxsE (And yes, I did find it by typing 'epic swingsets' into Google and scrolling through many pictures)**

 **Happy New Year!**

* * *

~5 Years Later~

"Samir it's time to go!" Harry Potter smiled as a three year old boy with dark skin, messy black hair, and bright green eyes came running into the room.

"Daddy I dressed myself!" Harry grinned and picked up his son, "See?"

"I do and you look good," his son had taken to dressing himself recently, though Harry's wife Parvati was the one who got the clothes out for their son. "Are you excited to go see your cousin Scorpius?"

Samir nodded his head eagerly. Hearing footsteps behind him Harry turned to see his wife with their one year old daughters, Shanti Lily Potter and Sri [pronounced SHREE] Chandra Potter (named after their paternal and maternal grandmothers, respectively). "Guess who dressed himself Mummy."

"I did!" Samir declared, raising his hands in the air.

"You did a good job," Parvati kissed her son's head, then kissed her husband, "Let's go then. We don't want to be late." Harry nodded and led the way to the floo room. With two shouts of 'Malfoy Manor' they vanished from their home.

* * *

After leaving Ron five years ago, Harry had returned to the hotel. He'd had to beg and plead for the receptionist to even contact Blaise, and the dark skinned Slytherin had been unmoved. Harry had been required to vow he wouldn't cause trouble at the party and hand over his wand for Blaise to even consider letting him back in. Harry had then found himself the center of attention. He'd apologized to everyone for Ron's behavior and for the lack of communication over the years. He'd said he wanted to come home and eventually he received forgiveness. Kind of. Ginny was still furious with him and Draco and the Slytherins clearly didn't trust him as far as they could have thrown him. Hermione wouldn't even speak to him at the time.

He had known that leaving as he and Ron did would hurt Hermione's feelings. Looking back Harry knew that far too often he'd hurt her feelings or, perhaps worse, he'd ignored them. Harry had certainly never felt like he was using Hermione for grades, but looking back at the way they just left without even a proper goodbye and never wrote her…Harry could see how she came to such a conclusion. If they were such good friends, if they were _best_ friends, shouldn't he have bothered to write her?

Unfortunately, Harry had no reason for his behavior after leaving England. He could only try to make amends but Hermione spent very little time with him and when she did it was always in a group and conversations between the two of them were short and awkward.

George gave Harry a job at his store when they returned to England and Molly let him stay at the Burrow in Ron's old room. Harry was grateful because it enabled him to catch up on everyone's lives with Molly and Arthur who were the most forgiving of everyone he'd left behind. Molly and Arthur told him all about the trials; Molly had kept many of the newspapers from the time which was also helpful. Harry felt sick at the things Malfoy had been threatened with if he didn't do as Voldemort demanded.

Myrtle's testimony about what Draco would confide in her shattered the image Harry had long held of the rich blonde. He'd never thought about Malfoy being forced to do anything. That he could have been abused. It explained plenty about Malfoy's behavior in school, of course, but it still surprised him. He also had plenty of time to think about all he learned about Malfoy and the other Slytherins. They seemed to go out of their way to avoid him. And at first, Harry felt horrible about it. But George explained it best- it was better for Harry to be at arm's distance rather than accidentally run his mouth and worsen the damage to his relationship with Hermione. That made perfect sense to Harry and he'd focused on the few people who would talk to him.

* * *

After a couple of months, Harry was finally admitted to Hermione's circle. It was strange, seeing the Slytherins without their scowls. What was most shocking, though, was Daphne and Hermione's relationship. The two women were very close and so unlike their school selves. Daphne had always been almost invisible in Hogwarts but at Hermione's birthday party that year they had a drinking game of 'I Never'. Harry still wasn't entirely sure that you _could_ have sex while windsurfing, but Daphne had sworn that she and Blaise had done just that on their honeymoon while Hermione had admitted to shagging Draco in all four common rooms while they were at Hogwarts that final year. The smug smirk on Draco's face that time was well-deserved, in Harry's opinion. It was an impressive feat to pull off.

In October George officially bought out Zonko's in Hogsmeade and sent Harry to, as George put it, "Capitalize on the Boy-Who-Lived thing by keeping you close to Hogwarts." Harry was helping the branch transition and the grand opening was to be on Halloween. Harry didn't mind the move or the work. It was rather nice, seeing how things had changed since the war. Madame Rosmerta kept him a room in the Three Broomsticks to stay in and Harry continued to learn about this new circle of friends he found himself in. He was surprised to learn that many of the hotels he and Ron had stayed in were actually Zabini properties.

At the grand opening Harry had re-met Parvati Patil, who was a reporter at the Daily Prophet on assignment covering the store's opening, and he'd been struck by how mature she'd become and also how beautiful she was. Padma was identical to her in appearance, true enough, but Harry had always dismissed Parvati as half of Gryffindor's 'gossip girls'. He'd granted the interview, though requested it be over dinner. Parvati had given him a coy smile before agreeing.

Over dinner Harry had apologized for their fourth year date and Parvati had graciously accepted it. The interview didn't take long and when it finished their conversation became personal, talking about Parvati's life since the war. Harry told her about his travels and why he'd decided to come home. It had been an enjoyable evening and Harry had asked her out afterwards on a proper date, without any work involved. She'd agreed and thus their romance had begun.

* * *

In early December Hermione told everyone she was pregnant. She and Draco were thrilled and Harry found himself smiling when she told him over lunch in Hogsmeade. Two weeks later at the Burrow Angelina and George announced that they were also expecting and a week after that, Daphne and Blaise announced that they were also expecting a child. It was a crazy December but Harry made an effort to make time for both his friends and for his girlfriend Parvati.

* * *

In February the Hogsmeade location was fully up and running smoothly so Harry returned to London and began to renovate Number 12 Grimmauld Place to make the house more functional. Narcissa Malfoy and Andromeda Tonks then decorated their ancestral home before Harry gave the house to Teddy Lupin and the two women moved in to give Draco and Hermione privacy in the Manor as they started their family; to keep the house going, Narcissa's favorite house elf went with them.

March saw Harry moving into Parvati's flat with her and leaving the Burrow. He also began to plan his own little shop which he wanted to create to cater to people who loved to fly as much as he did. Working in George's stores he'd learned that he quite liked the work and helping people, but he wanted to have his own business. With help from Hermione making a business plan he worked out the particulars. He wanted a wide selection of brooms, from training brooms for children (available only via special mail order normally) to racing brooms to casual brooms, including long flight brooms and family brooms. He also wanted to stock cleaning kits (also usually exclusively mail order) and a few quidditch things like training snitches and quidditch starter kits but by and large, he wanted the focus to be on the brooms themselves. There were plenty of quidditch shops. But a shop devoted to brooms themselves wasn't common at all. Parvati and Dennis helped him with marketing and advertising, with George offering advice on getting the store's name out as well.

Even Draco helped out, helping him get contracts with the big broom companies to carry the things usually available only via mail order. Harry was grateful for Malfoy's business sense as he managed to get a great deal on the items.

It took a great deal of work, so Harry had only just opened the store in early July when Hermione went into labor. After a surprisingly quick labor Draco and Hermione welcomed Scorpius Apollo Malfoy to the world. Two weeks later George and Angelina welcomed Fred Loki Weasley into the world. And only four weeks after Angelina gave birth, Daphne went into labor and delivered Alex Caius Zabini. Holding the newborns, and seeing Parvati hold them, had given Harry ideas. On the eve of their first anniversary he proposed to his girlfriend and she said yes.

The wedding was 9 months later and soon Parvati was pregnant with their son Samir Orion Potter. From Malfoy Harry had learned how it was pureblood tradition that the first born son bear the father's first name as his middle name (Draco Lucius, William Arthur, Harry James as examples) and Harry didn't want to adhere to it but wanted to pay tribute to Sirius. Remembering Sirius' middle name, and Parvati preferring Orion over Sirius, Harry'd gone down that route.

Shortly after Samir's first birthday Hermione delivered her and Draco's second child, Cassiopeia Athena Malfoy (Hermione going with the Greek tales from which her own first name was taken for her children's middle names). That same year Angelina gave birth to Roxanne Hermione Weasley. George had insisted that any daughter of his bear the name of the woman who'd brought him out of his depression after Fred's death (despite a blushing Hermione's protests). There were plenty of children in the large circle of family and friends; Harry, Draco, George, and Blaise already had a fund started to send alcohol to the professors of Hogwarts when their children began attending.

* * *

The Potter family arrived at Malfoy Manor to what could politely be called bedlam. Exiting the floo room after being greeted by an elf (Draco had exposed Hermione to plenty of elves and after talking to them she altered her goals to simply put in place programs to protect the elves from abuse and to house freed elves with families that needed them) they walked outside to see little children running around the yard with the Malfoys' dog, whose name was Pavlov. It was chaos but the air was filled with laughter. "Can I go play Mummy?" Samir asked.

"Yes but be careful," Parvati warned him, smiling as he ran after the group of young boys. "He's going to get his pants filthy," she wrinkled her nose at the thought.

"I'll clean them," Harry volunteered.

"You're a good husband," she said, kissing him sweetly.

Harry grinned and they walked over to the picnic table at which Angelina, Padma, Daphne, Ginny, Pansy, Fleur, and Luna were all sitting. "Hello ladies," Harry said.

"Give me my niece," Padma demanded and Harry acquiesced, handing Sri over to her aunt.

"Where are the boys?" Theo and Padma had twin sons, Rohan and Ravi, who were two years old.

"Watching the men help Draco build the swingset that's Scorpius' birthday present," Padma answered with an evil smile on her face. "No magic allowed. Hermione's orders."

Harry and Parvati laughed. Draco had no issues with the muggle world any longer; in fact the manor had one section that was all-muggle to acknowledge Hermione's heritage and Draco was a big fan of movies and video games. But to put together a swingset without magic had to be impossible for the pureblood wizard. Parvati sat down next to her sister, "Go help them out Harry."

"Or at the very least prove slightly more capable than Blaise," Daphne laughed. Harry grimaced remembering building a treehouse the muggle way for Teddy three years ago. Blaise had been a bumbling disaster. Physical labor was clearly not his forte. He walked off in the direction Angelina pointed. Hopefully Hermione hadn't killed the guys yet.

* * *

It wasn't hard to find the swingset. Harry walked over to Hermione, "Uh, Hermione? This is not a swingset. This is a playground."

She glanced up at him and smirked, "I know. But Draco had Teddy help him pick it out."

"That explains alot," Harry nodded. Draco wasn't in the habit of saying no to Teddy and anyway, Draco would have wanted the best for his son and daughter to play on. "It's really cool though. I mean, if I were a kid I'd want this in my backyard."

"Me too," Hermione nodded. "Draco actually was doing better on his own without Blaise, Theo, Oliver, and Greg around. Dennis has been very helpful."

"Why not tell the other four to piss off?"

"I think he doesn't want to offend them," Hermione sighed, "Plus the slides do need multiple people holding them in place so that they can be secured."

"Draco got most of it done on his own I'm guessing? Just how big is this thing anyway?" Harry asked.

"It's 38 feet wide, 49 feet deep, and 11 feet high," Hermione said, "and Narcissa came over to watch the kids this morning so that Draco and I could get started. Dennis came over just after breakfast to help us out and between the three of us we got most of the structure assembled. But the slides are too heavy for just the three of us so we had to wait until the rest of you came over."

"Well I'll help," Harry said. He was decent enough with a hammer, wrench, drill, and most other tools. Hermione stood with his help and they walked over to the men. Draco and Dennis had attached the walls at the base of one of the towers for the sandbox and Blaise was swiftly assigned the task of filling the sandbox.

"Muggles really buy these things for their kids?" Theo asked.

"Usually not something this extravagant," Hermione said. "Imagine just the swing section and one of the slides and that's more familiar to muggle children."

"Leave it to Draco to take the idea to a ridiculous level," Blaise said.

"Alex will love it too," Draco informed his friend.

"Well you always did want Malfoy Manor to be filled with life and laughter," Blaise stuck his tongue out at his friend.

Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled her husband to her, "Why do you put up with him?"

"I'm not really sure," Draco smirked. Blaise scowled and the Malfoys laughed, Draco leaning down to kiss Hermione. "We'll get the slides done and then everything should be complete. Go check on the kids."

"No magic," she told him. "Just the spells at the end that we talked about."

"I know," Draco assured her, kissing her again, "I'm not going to do anything that could impede me being rewarded for being such a wonderful husband and father and putting this monstrosity together."

"You're so smart," she purred, "Try not to be too tired tonight."

"I'm never too tired for you," he said, his hands moving to her hips.

She pulled away, "I'll go before you get distracted."

"You're a wonderful distraction!" Draco called after her. Hermione's laugh could be heard as she walked back up toward the house with Theo's twins in her arms.

* * *

"You two are ridiculous," Harry said.

"Just be glad you missed out on the honeymoon period after they first slept together," George said. "They were so obnoxiously sweet; my teeth hurt just seeing them together."

"We still weren't as bad as Blaise and Daph," Draco argued.

"Oh definitely," Theo laughed. "Watching Blaise go from philanderer to 'my one true love' was such a severe change Draco and I debated taking him to St. Mungo's for an examination."

"And Daphne going from the ice queen to someone warmer than Molly Weasley was disturbing for all parties; Astoria avoided her for over a month," Draco added. "I wished I could."

"That makes two of us," Theo shuddered at the memories.

Harry shook his head, "Okay so Dennis and I can attach the corkscrew slide if Oliver, George, Blaise, and Greg hold it up. Draco and Theo make sure it's angled properly."

* * *

Soon enough the largest play set Harry had ever seen was finished. Draco cast the spells Hermione had requested and they all congratulated one another before heading up to the house to see that lunch was ready. "Can I have my present yet?" Scorpius asked as they sat down to lunch.

"After lunch," Hermione answered, kissing the top of his head. "Your father and uncles spent all morning putting it together."

"Really?" Scorpius gazed at his father in awe.

"Really," Draco nodded. "Since before you woke up this morning." Scorpius beamed at his parents. Harry had been rather amused to see that when Scorpius was born he was brunette, not blonde. Not that the little boy didn't look like his father as he grew; he had Draco's grey eyes and facially was a carbon copy of Draco when he was a child. Having seen pictures of Draco growing up courtesy of Narcissa had Harry certain of that fact. Scorpius' hair was fine and straight yet thick, a very good combination of his parents' hair that had Hermione breathing a sigh of relief. Their daughter on the other hand was a mini-Hermione, though her hair was much more like her father's right down to the color and she also had her father's eyes.

As Harry fed his daughter he felt relieved that he'd gone to the World Cup and seen Hermione and the Weasleys and Teddy. Until he'd seen Teddy, seen Hermione with a wedding ring, he'd kind of forgotten about everyone in England. And the more he saw everyone interacting, learned who people had married, the more he'd felt the guilt grow. And then the yearning. He wanted to go home. He wanted to be in Hermione and Teddy's lives. So he'd apologized to Blaise, got his chance with the Weasleys and Hermione and her friends, and capitalized on that chance lest any of them ever regret giving him that chance.

Of course, he did occasionally have bouts of guilt about leaving Ron. But Ron seemed to be content, traveling and never settling down too long. Harry never would have just left Ron and returned to England out of the blue but at the World Cup he'd seen something in Ron that he'd maybe been numb to previously; Ron wanted to be a sixth year in Hogwarts again with everything easy in perpetuity. Slytherin = evil and Gryffindor = good. Ron both wanted Hermione to be his girlfriend and yet wanted nothing to do with her, deeming her an unsatisfactory option as a partner. He needed those rivalries and that anger and hatred. Harry was tired of hating Slytherins, tired of being angry at them. And he was tired of never having a bed of his own.

From the first time that Harry had seen Hermione with Malfoy, Harry had seen that she was loved and far happier than he'd ever seen her. It was in the couple's eyes and body language, clear as day. Ron had just seen the girl he liked but didn't want standing with his enemy and had immediately jumped to the conclusion Hermione was with Malfoy to get back at Ron for leaving. Harry thought that was absurd.

Even after five years, Harry and Hermione's relationship still wasn't where it used to be. She was closer to Daphne, Padma, Blaise, and Theo than she was to him and Harry had accepted that it was probable he never would hold that place in her life again. Blaise was godfather to Scorpius and Theo was godfather to Cassie and Harry was just happy to be a fun uncle to the two children. Given the way he'd left Hermione, he figured it was far more than he deserved.

* * *

Lunch was soon finished and they walked the kids down to the swingset, covering their eyes so they wouldn't give it away to Scorpius. Draco had once told Harry that he wanted Malfoy Manor filled with the laughter of children. It would drive Lucius around the bend that his own grandchildren were half-bloods and that Weasley children and Potters were roaming the estate. Harry grinned as Scorpius saw his present, "Wicked! Mum! Dad! It's brilliant," he hugged them both as Cassie opened her eyes and squealed with delight. "Best birthday ever!" Scorp declared before running toward the swingset. Harry set his son down and watched Teddy Lupin help Cassie and Samir climb up onto the massive playset as the children ran around, playing on the massive structure.

"What spells did you put on it?" Harry asked Draco.

"Magical reinforcement, weather repellent, and some safety spells and wards," Draco answered. "Let's just say our kids are practically superheroes on that thing."

Harry laughed. He watched Luna sit her and Greg's one year old daughter, Nola, in the sandbox. Parvati and Padma carried the twins over there to join her and Harry took in the scene. Teddy Lupin playing with Scorpius Malfoy, Fred Weasley, Alex Zabini, and Samir Potter. Victoire Weasley playing with Cassie Malfoy and Roxy Weasley. Rohan and Ravi Nott playing with Bruno Wood, Oliver Wood's two year old son he had with his wife, Pansy Wood née Parkinson. It was something he could never have predicted happening when he was at Hogwarts or when he was abroad after the war. While the children played the one year old dog Pavlov ran around the playset in the grass, pouncing on the older children when they came down a slide. The squeals of joy and laughter put a smile on his face. It felt good, being home. Looking at Parvati he was certain he'd made the right decision.

* * *

Hermione felt familiar arms wrap around her and she leaned into him, "I think you accomplished your mission love."

"Now all we have to do is torture Lucius with the information," Draco said, squeezing her affectionately and kissing her shoulder, "I look forward to that Azkaban visit. I haven't seen him since his trial."

She turned and kissed him, "We're going to be the cool house. You know what that means don't you?"

"Yeah no privacy to have sex in the living room or study or even the library," Draco pouted.

"Such a man," she rolled her eyes.

"Your man," he reminded her.

"And yet I don't regret it," she teased, making Draco pout. A kiss brought that smirk back to his lips. "I love you."

"I love you," he responded, pressing his forehead to hers, "marrying you was the smartest thing I've ever done."

"No argument there," she laughed before he kissed her again, "the kids will be exhausted before bed time," Hermione said when they parted.

"Good maybe I can get you naked sooner," he gave her a lecherous grin and she pressed her head to his shoulder. "What's the smartest thing you've ever done?"

"Saying yes when you asked me to Hogsmeade," she answered. "I wasn't sure that I even wanted to go with you back then but I wouldn't trade any of our time together for anything."

"Me either," he smiled. "How about we use the hot tub later?"

"I was thinking I'd bring out your old uniform shirt actually," she said.

Draco swallowed, "With the tie?"

"Of course," she slid one hand under his shirt and ran her hand over his abs, "I do know you, after all."

"Very well," he grinned. "We'll go with your idea. It's better."

She smiled, "I had a feeling you'd think that." Her hand slipped out from under his shirt and she turned in his arms to watch their children play. Draco held her close, savoring the contact. Ten years ago he'd been awaiting trial. He'd been certain he'd end up in Azkaban. Instead he'd been cleared; all thanks to the woman in his arms. She denied it but he knew that if Hermione hadn't testified for him, about Myrtle and what she'd seen with her own eyes, he wouldn't have been cleared.

Once he was cleared Draco Malfoy had set a new course in his life. Restore the Malfoy name to prominence. The first step, in his mind, was to thank Hermione for testifying. And from that conversation they'd become friendly and Draco hadn't taken long to realize he was attracted to her. When he realized it was mutual he wondered if their constant bickering in school had been efforts to temper that attraction to each other; looking back he was fairly certain he'd recognized she was attractive right around fourth year. Hermione later admitted that around fifth year she'd finally realized she was attracted to him.

Their first date had been a little stilted and awkward, but at the end of the night when they'd kissed sparks flew and it took everything in him to not take her straight to bed. The lust in her eyes when he pulled back indicated she was certainly feeling it too.

On their second date neither one had the same self-control from the previous date and the couple ended up in Hermione's bed. After that they never spent a night apart. The only exception, in almost ten entire years together, was the night before their wedding. Molly and Narcissa had insisted on that tradition being adhered to and the only person Draco feared more than Hermione was his mother.

"I love you," he whispered. "So incredibly much."

"I know Draco," she smiled up at him, "I love you too Mr. Two-Time World Cup Champion." He grinned. England was the first country to win the Quidditch World Cup back-to-back and he felt immensely proud of himself about that accomplishment. Scorpius and Cassie had both watched their father win and flown with him on his broom in a victory lap afterwards. For Draco the best accomplishments in his life were his wife, his children, and then his two World Cup wins.

Initially he'd wanted to make his name good for himself and then for Hermione so she wouldn't have to endure the whispers about how she could have done better than a 'Malfoy'. But then when they started to have kids he'd found a new goal. Giving his kids something better than he'd inherited. He had accomplished that feat. "I was thinking for our anniversary we could go to one of the islands, just the two of us. Let mum and Aunt Andi watch the kids."

Hermione smiled. Narcissa loved babysitting her grandchildren and Andromeda doted on her great-niece and nephew. And with Teddy starting Hogwarts that year, the two women could probably use the distraction. "I think that's a great idea. How long would we be gone?"

"I was thinking a week," he kissed her neck, "It _is_ our tenth anniversary, after all."

"That's true," she nodded, "It seems both longer and shorter than ten years."

He laughed, "It does, doesn't it? I loved all of it though."

"Even when I broke your hand delivering Scorpius?"

"Well maybe not that," he conceded, making his wife laugh. "You're much stronger than you look you know."

"I'd have thought you learned that third year when I broke your nose," she teased.

"I was still a prejudiced arse back then," he shrugged.

"Good thing you grew out of that."

"Very good thing or I wouldn't have fallen for you. And imagine how empty your life would be without me in it," he added with a smirk.

"Horribly awful, I'm sure," she rolled her eyes. He might not be a bigot, but he was still arrogant. She didn't mind; she had her own flaws and they kept one another in check. "I'm just grateful our children have my humility to even out your arrogance."

"You're too humble for your own good," he said. Hermione rolled her eyes again. "Teddy's excited for Hogwarts."

Hermione smiled. He really was eager to go to Hogwarts. As he'd aged they'd told him about the war and about his parents; Teddy knew more than most kids his age. He'd handled it very well, actually. And he'd never held Draco's actions against him. It was incredibly heartwarming seeing Draco tell Teddy about his part in the war and then see Teddy hug him and tell him it was okay and he was still his hero. Hermione had only ever seen Draco cry three times, and that had been one of them. It had taken a nine year old's forgiveness to soothe Draco's self-inflicted guilt; something the courts and Hermione had been unable to do.

When their children had been born Draco and Hermione had been careful to include Teddy in family things. With Teddy seven years older than Scorpius, that could be difficult. But Teddy seemed to like being a big brother and was very patient with Scorpius; Draco had to admit it helped that while his son looked just like him (minus hair color, obviously), he had a thirst for knowledge that was very much Hermione. Already Scorpius was wise beyond his years. Narcissa would say that Scorpius was 3 going on 30 and Draco thought it was accurate.

The couple was pulled out of their thoughts when Scorpius and Teddy ran up to them, "Can we have cake now?" Scorpius asked.

"We thought you'd want to play for a bit first," Hermione said.

"Yeah but cake is good fuel," Scorpius responded. Draco buried his head in Hermione's hair to hide the grin at his son's words. Scorp was a sponge and his vocabulary was beyond his years.

Hermione looked at Teddy, who smiled innocently, before she nodded, "We can have cake now."

"Yay! Cake time!" The two boys ran off to tell the others, Teddy careful not to get too far ahead of Scorp as they ran.

"That was all Teddy," Hermione said. "You let him spend too much time with George."

"Me? George is closer to _you_ , love," Draco reminded her. "And it's worth reminding you that you are not as innocent as you like people to think. Umbridge, Bellatrix, Edgecombe, and McLaggen come to mind."

Hermione sighed, "I never should have told you those things."

"I rather liked that you hexed his bollocks off," Draco smirked. "Wanker deserved it."

"Hardly an appropriate thing to call him now," she nudged him and he laughed. "Come on, we have a cake to get ready before the angry toddlers revolt on us with their gang leader Teddy."

"I wouldn't believe Scorp was a toddler if I didn't remember your labor vividly," Draco mused as they walked up to the house.

"That makes two of us," Hermione said. "He's going to be so much trouble at Hogwarts. Your looks, my intellect…"

"I'm not an idiot," he reminded her.

"You're quite brilliant in your own right," she kissed him apologetically, "I'll rephrase. Your looks, our combined intellects, and my hunger for books has combined into a hellion."

"Maybe McGonagall will be retired by then," Draco mused. "If not we can send her loads of high-quality Scottish whiskey." Hermione laughed.

* * *

Several hours later Harry scooped up Samir as Padma settled the twins to floo home, "Thanks for having us. He's going to be eager to come back soon and play again."

"It's good having him, even if he's a Potter," Draco smirked. Harry shook his head in silent laughter lest he wake up his son. "But I wouldn't hold that against him. He _is_ half-Patil after all, and they're perfectly acceptable."

Parvati kissed Draco's cheek, "I knew I liked you."

Hermione smirked and wrapped her arms around her husband's waist, "Thanks for coming. Scorp had a blast today."

"Just wait until these two are mobile," Parvati indicated her twins.

"I'm more interested in watching Potter here lose his mind when boys start to notice them," Draco smirked. Harry's horrified expression at the mere thought had the Malfoys laughing.

"Come on Harry," Parvati smiled, rather than laughed, at her husband. "Let's get these three down for the night. Then we can turn in."

That put a grin on Harry's face and the Malfoys watched the Potters leave. "Potter's fun to mess with," Draco said.

"You've always thought that," she teased.

"I can't help it," he protested. "Potter is just so easy to bait."

"He is that," Hermione admitted. "Come on, we have some children to get into a bath before it's bedtime for them."

"And playtime for us," he smirked.

"You do need your reward," she wrapped her arms around his neck, "I believe I've already said it today, many times, but I love you Draco Malfoy."

"I love you Hermione Malfoy," he smiled genuinely and kissed her. "Ten very wonderful years, two beautiful children, four league wins, and two World Cup medals. We've been busy."

"We'll be even busier once you retire in another three years or so," Hermione reminded him. Draco was going to be heading up Malfoy Industries properly once he retired from Quidditch. Although then they'd be working closely together, it'd still be much more work for Draco.

"More time with you and Scorp and Cassie," he smiled. "I can't wait."

"Me either," she smiled and kissed him, "now let's get the kids get ready for bed and you can enjoy your reward."

"You'll enjoy it too," he whispered in her ear. She nodded her head. She always did.

* * *

When the Potters arrived home there was owl mail. Harry looked at it, "It's addressed to me. Looks like Ron's handwriting, actually," he said.

"Do you need to read it now? Samir needs a bath and the twins need to be changed and then put to bed."

"I can read it later," Harry said, putting the letter on the table. "I'll bathe him and then get him ready for bed."

"I love it when you take the hard jobs," Parvati whispered into his ear before giving him a teasing kiss and heading up the stairs with the girls.

Harry grinned. He'd fallen for Parvati the minute they re-met, and he was so relieved when she didn't hold the Yule Ball against him. Their romance was intense, probably the most on-par with Hermione and Draco's passion for one another. Harry had been surprised to learn that Parvati was in Padma's circle of friends. But then as he thought about it Lavender _had_ died during the war and according to Hermione, Parvati had become much closer to Padma in the war's aftermath. The two women had put aside childhood differences and their bond had tightened to a level that, while not quite the level of Fred and George (because no twins could be that close but those two), was surprisingly close.

Not having a family of his own, Harry was fine with Padma and Parvati's closeness. In fact he and Theo had struck up a strong friendship of their own. Harry'd known nothing about Theo, but he was pretty laid back and put family first. Harry saw himself pretty similar, actually, and the two had become fast friends when Harry started seeing Parvati.

Harry woke Samir as he carried him upstairs, "You ready for bathtime buddy?"

"Do I have to?"

"Yes but I'll try to be fast okay? Then mum can come kiss you good night."

"Bedtime story?"

"I'm sure we can read you a bedtime story," Harry nodded.

"Okay," Samir leaned into him and Harry sat him on the floor as he ran the bath and got out some of Samir's bath toys. He loved being a dad. Being the center of his son's world for the sole reason that he was 'Dad'. It didn't matter that he was the 'Boy-Who-Lived' or the 'Man-Who-Won'. He was just 'Dad' with the broom shop to Samir and the girls and for Harry, it was a very pleasant feeling. While he knew Hermione had always seen him as 'just' Harry, he'd not been entirely sure the Weasleys had in the beginning.

* * *

An hour and a half later Samir was asleep and Parvati was carefully closing the door to his bedroom. "Wards are fine?"

"I've never known anything to get through Hermione's wards," Harry said quietly. "She's scary good at them." When they'd bought the house Hermione had warded the property for him with some additional wards Draco knew that were, to quote the blonde, 'borderline' dark magic. They weren't illegal or particularly dark but they were dangerous to anyone who meant the Potters harm. Harry had no issues with that. His children weren't growing up without their parents. "I checked them after checking on the girls."

"So now it's just the two of us," her arms wrapped around his neck and Harry leaned in to kiss her, "shall we go to bed?"

"That sounds good to me," Harry lifted her up and Parvati's legs locked around his waist, "I love you."

"I love you," she responded before their lips met again and Harry walked the familiar path to their bedroom, Ron's letter completely forgotten.

* * *

When Harry woke the next morning it was to spooning Parvati with one arm and leg draped over her, holding her against him. He gave her a gentle squeeze and kissed her neck softly, not wanting to disturb her sleep. Her hand found his, "Good morning handsome."

"I didn't mean to wake you," he apologized.

"You didn't," she laced their fingers and pulled his hand up to her chest, "I just woke up."

"How long before the kids wake do you think?"

Parvati leaned forward to look at the clock, "We have some time. What do you have in mind?" Harry's grin was the only answer needed and she turned to kiss him.

* * *

An hour later the rest of the Potter household was awake and Parvati was making breakfast as Harry put the twins in their high chairs. Harry only remembered Ron's letter when Samir found it as he sat down, "What's this?"

"That's for Daddy," Harry said, taking the letter. "I forgot about it last night."

"What do you think he wants?" Parvati asked. She'd never thought much of Ron in school. She'd learned later that Hermione's friendship with Ron was pretty much solely because of Harry so while that explained Hermione's relationship with the volatile redhead, Harry's relationship with Ron was a mystery to her.

"I don't know," Harry admitted. He had written Ron four different times (including an invitation to Harry's wedding) but the letters were never responded to. He wasn't sure he honestly wanted to open it. Ron hadn't wanted to talk to him for five years. Harry had tried to write him about falling in love with Parvati, about marrying her, about the birth of their children…Ron never sent anything back. Ron had fallen out of Harry's life despite Harry's best efforts. Why would Ron suddenly want to contact him? "I'm not sure I want to read it," he told his wife as he helped her make breakfast.

"It's your decision," Parvati said. She really wasn't the biggest fan of Ron Weasley. She'd thought Lavender could do better than Ron when her best friend had started dating the temperamental redhead. And she especially disliked how Ron had treated her sister at the Yule Ball despite him begging Harry to get him a date too (Hermione had informed her of that when they'd all been upstairs getting ready that evening).

Harry felt two voices in his head. One sounded like Molly Weasley, desperate to know what her son was up to. The other was Hermione, whose last encounter with Ron had been, in a word, horrendous. And all on his part. She would point out that Ron had abandoned them both because of petty school rivalries and that Ron wasn't part of their lives any longer. "I feel like I'd be betraying Hermione if I opened it. But Mrs. Weasley would probably love some information on Ron."

Knowing Harry would be mentally at war at himself all day, Parvati squeezed his arm, "Harry just talk to Hermione about it. Visit her today and talk to her about it."

"That's a good idea," Harry nodded. "You're really smart," he added, kissing her.

"You just need a strong woman bossing you around to function," she teased, giggling at the pout on his face.

* * *

After breakfast Harry kissed Samir, Shanti, and Sri goodbye before kissing Parvati, "I really love you, you know."

"Likewise now go open the store. And talk to Hermione!"

"I will," he promised before leaving the house and Apparating to Diagon Alley.

Parvati looked at the clock before looking at the kids, "Who wants to go to Grandma Molly's?" Three grins were her answer. "Samir go pick the toy you want to take."

* * *

Harry sent Hermione an owl when he got into the store, the letter in his pocket. He opened up and set about helping customers. When he'd first opened the store he had his fair share of gawkers enter who just wanted to stare at the 'Boy-Who-Lived'. It was Malfoy who suggested capitalizing on it by letting George create Harry's likeness in a line of toys which Harry could then sell in the store. Since they were cheaper than the brooms and whatnot, people could buy them as a reason to be in the store and Harry would capitalize on people who just wanted to see him in the flesh.

There were Harry Potter figures flying on his Firebolt broomstick, Harry Potter figures flying on a Hippogriff, and Harry Potter and Hermione Granger figures riding a dragon. Hermione did not find it as amusing as George, Draco, and Harry did but she kept quiet. Although she hadn't been pleased when Harry gave Scorpius that one for his birthday the day before. But everyone else thought it was funny.

It was almost lunchtime when he heard, "Harry Potter I _will_ get revenge."

He turned to look at Hermione leveling a glare at him that would have made Malfoy wet himself once upon a time. Harry looked at her, "What'd I do?"

"My son has been asking when I ever rode a dragon because I hate flying," she glared at him. "He's not old enough to understand the war Harry."

"Just tell him you're a hero," Harry shrugged.

"Have you met my son? He wants the full story, with details; not some bland explanation," Hermione's glare remained and he started to feel uncomfortable. She really could be scary.

"Well he could probably understand you fought and defeated a bad guy."

"And when he asks if daddy helped?"

Harry closed his mouth. He'd forgotten that. "You could technically say that Draco did help. He didn't identify us."

"That alone indicates that Draco was on the Death Eaters' side."

Harry winced and blushed, "Look Hermione I'm really sorry. I just thought it was amusing to give him that toy."

Hermione smiled, "Relax Harry. We've already explained to him that Daddy had to pretend to be bad to protect Grandma. He's might only be four but Draco and I discussed long ago how to answer questions about the war that they'd have."

Harry stared, stunned that she'd just put him through all of that, "You're evil."

"Draco's Slytherin ways have rubbed off on me."

"Well that's just gross," he wrinkled his nose and she rolled her eyes. Harry could be so immature sometimes.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" She asked.

"I got a letter from Ron last night and I'm not sure if I should open it," Harry answered. "I was wondering if I could ask what you think I should do over lunch."

* * *

Hermione regarded her friend as they walked to a nearby café for lunch. For her, it was easy. Don't read it. Ron had ignored Harry's wedding, the births of his three children, and as a result she didn't think he deserved Harry's forgiveness. But Harry could overthink anything in order to make himself feel guilty. It was almost a talent.

Once they'd sat down and ordered Harry looked at her expectantly, "Well Ron's ignored you for five years. I certainly see why you wouldn't want to open it. Why would you want to?"

"He might say what he's up to and I think Molly would love that."

"If Ron wanted to write to his parents, he could," Hermione pointed out. "Harry, before you came back she'd written off both of you as just gone. That hasn't changed regarding Ron. And really, wouldn't it hurt her more to know that Ron wrote you but not her in your scenario?"

Well that hadn't crossed his mind. Harry frowned in thought. Hermione gazed at him, "Do you want to open it? You could read it but not respond."

"I don't know," he answered. "Part of me is curious what on Earth could be so important that he's writing me now but I'm really hurt by his treatment of his family and friends over the past 10 years."

"Harry very few of us, if any, give Ron much thought. I didn't until I saw him five years ago and since then I've not thought about him except when you would mention him. You're not betraying those of us that want nothing to do with him by reading it but it's really your decision. No one else's." Harry rubbed the back of his head. He still wasn't sure what to do. They ate lunch and chatted, leaving the subject behind.

By the end of the day when he closed up the shop Harry knew his answer. He burned the letter and went home. Hermione's words about not even thinking about Ron had him thinking about himself. In truth, _he_ hadn't thought of Ron very much over the past year and a half either. At the Burrow he smiled watching Samir playing with Fred and Roxy in the yard and soon he was being tackled into the grass by the three kids. Harry was very glad he went back to the hotel that day over five years ago. It was possibly the third smartest decision he'd ever made (first and second being asking Parvati out and asking her to marry him, respectively).


End file.
